What’s in a Brand?

Branding: The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets.

Challenges in developing a brand

Branding a new business or rebranding an existing one can be one of the most challenging tasks for a business to get right. When done effectively, a brand identity can engage and influence the target audience and motivate them to take action, converting them into buyers. There are several unique challenges that need to be overcome when branding a new product or service for a business. The characteristics of a good brand design include being easy to read at a variety of sizes and being distinctive both in colour and in black and white. The brand must also reflect the business’ goals and somehow convey the business’ mission statement and core values to its customers.

Finding unique branding solutions

In order to overcome these brand development challenges, designers and marketers must work closely with the client to ensure that the highest quality and design standards are met and that the company’s goals and vision are realized.

Developing a logo for a client is only part of the process when developing a brand identity. Many other factors should be considered such as colour, legibility, and whether the design reflects the company’s vision and mission statement. Designers and marketers should engage with their customers to learn as much about the company and new brand as possible. Without learning and analyzing this critical information, designers and marketers will have a much harder time creating a brand identity that meets these requirements.

Tips for developing a memorable brand

• Make the design relevant
• Scalable – a logo must be able to be seen clearly at various sizes
• Impactful
• Versatile